Detector for bulged end cans



y 1932. w. w. WADSWORTH DETECTOR FOR BULGED END CANS Original Filed May 17, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1932- w. w. WADSWORTH 1,866,957

DETECTOR FOR BULGED END CANS Original Filed May 17, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i i "M 23 l 21L 9 Q /3 Q0 Q4 ZZU6/ZZL07 damuzwuawd or; M.

Patented July 12, 1932 WILLIAM VJ. WADSWOETH, OF TREMONTON, UTAH DETECTOR FOB. BULGED END CANS Application filed May 17, 1928, Serial No. 278,552. Renewed November 23, 1931.

for frequent shipments.

Bulged cans occur in most canneries and at times in store houses after shipment from the cannel'ies and it is important that these be detected before the cans are sent to the retail merchants for sale to the general public.

Bulged cans are not always evidence of spoilage, but the public have been warned against bulged cans and therefore it is important that the distributors remove them from the contemplated shipments so that they will not reach the retailers.

Before my invention there have not been easy and accessible means available to the handlers for detecting bulged cans, that were cheap and effective and that would handle a large quantity of cans over a given period; that was portable so that the apparatus could be easily moved around the store house or cannery and that would handle cans of vary ing sizes within certain limits, without much change; that had self contained power means that could be operated from any light socket and that was inexpensive so all canneries and the smaller handlers could afford to equip with the machines.

. The general principle of my improved apparatus comprises leading cans down an inclined chute and placing them singly between revolving heads that contact with the ends of the cans.

These revolving heads may be faced with bristles of any suitable material or with any substance that will exert a slight pressure on the can ends as the heads revolve.

The action and operation of the machine is entirely automatic and only requires slight attention from and attendant; it is provided with adjustable parts to accommodate cans of varying heights and diameters within reason able limits; all of the movable parts are synchronized to operate from a single source of power such as an electric motor and all parts are easily accessible for adjustment or replacement.

It is therefore a principal object of my 1nvention to provide an apparatus that will detect bulged end cans from a series of cans successively presented and automatically throw them out of line of the moving cans.

It is also an object of my invention to provide an apparatus for detecting bulged end cans by means of subjecting cans to the action of revolving heads which contact with the ends and act to discharge those that are bulged.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a bulged end can detector having means for adjustment to adapt it to the handling of cans of differing sizes.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a bulged end can detector that is a complete portable unit that may be easily transported from place to place and operated without further effort than the attachment to an electric circuit.

With such object in view as well as other advantages which may be inherent in the invention, consisting in the parts and combination hereinafter set forth and claimed,it is understood that the several necessary ele ments parts and combinations constituting the same may be varied in their proportions, placement and general arrangement without departin from the scope and nature of the invention.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood there are shown, somewhat diagrammatically, in the accompanying drawings means and mechanism for placing the same in concrete form, without limiting the improvements in their application to the particular construction chosen to illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention. This View shows the chutes for bringing cans to the machine and for carrying them away after they have been subjected to the detecting mechanism; shows a manner of connecting an electric motor on the same base with the machine so the entire apparatus may be moved from place to place and shows a bulged end can flying above the detector heads that has been thrown out of the machine, this can will land on the discharge chute at the outside of the regular path of the good cans.

Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1 and shows the various parts on the top of the machine in substantially the same positions of Figure 1. This view clearly shows the widened discharge chute with the regular can path down the center.

Figure 3 is a front elevation looking from the left of Figure 2 with the chutes removed so as not to conflict with a clear view of the mechanism. This view clearly shows much of the operating parts and their connection.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a part of th mechanism looking down and taken on approximately the line 4ld of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a schematic view showing the chutes and mechanism for blocking the flow of cans down the delivery chute and prevent the first can coming in contact with the detector heads when they throw out a bulged can.

The numeral 1 represents side standards which form the main frame work of the machine. 2 represents tie rods f r spacing and holding the standards apart and in proper alignment. A bracket 3 also acts as a tie to hold the standards in place. A main drive shaft 4 is positioned in the lower part of the frame structure and carries the main drive pulley 5; the pulleys 6 and 7 and the eccentric 8. Positioned in the tops of the frames 1 are the rotary heads 9 and 10 mounted on short shafts finding bearing in the heads of the frame sections 1.

These bearings look short for the lengths of the shafts but since the drawings are more or less diagrammatic they illustrate the structure rather than indicate construction.

The outer ends of the short shafts 11 and 12 carry pulleys 13 and 14; connected by straight and cross belts with the pulleys 6 and 7. Between the frame heads 1 and the pulleys 13 and 14 are quite stiff springs tending to hold the shafts and parts outwardly opposed as at 15. Inside the frame members are flanged collars secured to the shafts as at 16, and on the extreme inner ends of the shafts 11 and'12 are the dectecting heads 9 and 10 with a light spring between the heads and the slidable collars 16. The heads 10 are made slidable by means of a well known spline which need not be shown, so that they have a slight give when they contact with the cans.

Directly under the heads 9 and 10 and carried by the bracket 3 is a plunger 17 having vertical movement in a central hub of the bracket 3, its lower end being pivotally connected with the pitman of an eccentric 8. The hub of the bracket 3 is slotted as at 18 to carry and guide the extensions 19 which in turn carry the cam bars 20; Adjustably mounted near the tops of the frame members 1 are brackets 21 carrying bosses 22 on which are pivoted the rocker arms 23, the lower ends of the arms 23 carrying cam rollers 24 riding against the cam bars 20 and held in contact therewith by the springs 15, the upper ends of the rocker arms 23 engaging with the collars 16, so that as the plunger 17 is moved up and down by theeccentric 8 the roller 24- following the cams 20 will move the detector heads 9 and 10 toward and away from each other. The adjustments provided on the cam bars 20 permit adjusting the relative distance between the heads 9 and 10.

The heads 9 and 10 are shown with bristle faces which may be of any suitable material and as being probably as well adapted for the purpose as any other material, although any material that will give a variable end contact according to the shape of the can ends, meaning a harder contact in the center of the can ends when they are bulged and a harder contact around the edges when the ends are properly collapsed.

In this machine it may be desirable or necessary to restrain the line of cans from pressing against a can between the detector heads so that if the can being detected happens to have bulged ends and is thrown out of the machine the line of cans will not be permitted to touch the heads before they have been separated for can admission. To control the movement of the line of advancing cans and admit a can at just the right time I have provided a simple stop member 25 carried by two brackets 26 secured to the sides of the can chute, and with its lower ends bent to engage with the tops of the members 19 on their upward stroke. A linger 27 forming a part of the member 25 normally rests between the first can in the chute and the can between the heads 9 and 10 and as the plunger 17 moves upward carrying the arms 19, these arms engage the lower bent ends of the stop member 25 and lift it therewith raising the finger 27 so the first can can pass between the heads 9 and 10, then as the plunger 17 returns it permits the springs 28 on the lower ends of the member 25 to again place the finger between the next positioned cans. A collar 29 on the upper end of the member 25 determines the extent of movement between the cans.

Operation We will suppose that a canner is going to ship out a thousand cases of canned goods from his store house where the goods have been in storage since the packing season ended. He moves the detector down to the space where the cans are stored, connects the plug to a light socket or other handy line connection which starts the machine in operation. He places a boxing machine at the end of the discharge chute to receive the good cans. The cans from the stack are placed in the delivery chuterof the detector and one by one pass through the detector heads 9 and 10. As soon as a can with bulged ends is positioned between these heads, running in opposite directions, the increased pressure against the centers of the ends destroys the equilibrium of the can between the heads and it is unable to remain in an axial position with the result that it is quickly thrown out as is indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings and will probably land on the side extension of'the discharge chute or may fly out on the floor. If however, the can has concave ends due to vacuum in the can the greatest pressure of the heads 9 and 10 is against the rims of the ends and the can is held axially until normally released and passes down the central delivery chute into the boxing machine. The plunger 17 is moved continuously up and down by means of the eccentric 8 and there is enough play between the upper end of the plunger 17 and the lower surface of a can between the heads to give a timed motion while the plunger moves from its lowermost position into contact with the can.

This idle movement permits the can between the heads to be properly detected bebefore it is ejected by the top end of the plunger 17 which isadjusted to move above the bottom of the delivery chute and lift the can so it will roll down the discharge chute.

During this extreme up movement of the plunger 17 the cams 20 are also moved up ward permitting the rollers 24 to ride over the receding surfaces and thereby permit the springs 15 to separate the heads and admit another can. Also during this extreme up movement of the plunger 17 the arms 19 engage the bent ends of the stop member 25, lifting the finger 27 out of the path of the line of cans permitting a can to roll into position between the heads and as the plunger recedes from its uppermost position the heads are moved inward against the positioned can; the spring 28 replaces the finger 27 again between the positioned can and the one next adjacent to prevent the line of cans from rolling against the heads before they open and the sequence of operations is again repeated.

Adjustments are provided on the cam connections to the arms 19 to give varying distances between the heads 9 and 10; the timing of the movement of the heads laterally is regulated by adjusting the brackets 21 up or down thus bringing the action of the rollers 24 sooner or later relative to the upward movement of the cams 20 and if adjustment is necessary to the top of the plunger 17 removable caps may be provided which may be in stantly removed and replaced, the cap heads being of differing thicknesses to suit condit-ions.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for detecting bulged end cans comprising opposed devices, means for rotating said devices in oppositedirections, other means for moving said devices axially, yielding detector means carried by said devices and adapted to contact with opposite ends of cans simultaneously whereby if the cans comprising opposed devices positioned in axial alignment, means for rotating said devices in opposite directions, other means for giving axial movement to said devices, yielding detector means carried by said devices and adapted to contact with opposite can ends simultaneously whereby if the can ends are bulged the increased central pressure will cause the cans to be ejected from between said devices.

3. An apparatus for detecting bulged end cans comprising opposed devices positioned in axial alignment, means for rotating said devices in opposite directions simultaneously, other means for moving said devices axially while they are being rotated, yielding detector means carried by said devices and adapted to contact with can ends simultaneously whereby if the can ends are bulged the increased central pressure on the ends will cause the cans to be ejected from between c said devices.

1. An apparatus for detecting bulged end cans comprising opposed detector heads, means for moving said heads toward and away from each other, means for rotating said heads in opposite directions, means for directing cans between said heads and directing cans away from said heads, yielding means for contacting with said cans whereby if the pressure against the can ends is greatest at the center the cans will be ejected as bulged end cans.

5. An apparatus for detecting bulged end cans comprising opposed detector heads, means for moving said heads toward and away from each other, means for rotating said heads in opposite directions, means for positioning cans between said heads and for directing unbulged cans from said heads, means on said heads for engaging bulged end cans and ejecting them from between said heads in a different direction from the path of unbulged cans.

6. An apparatus for separating bulged end cans from unbulged end cans comprising a pair of oppositely rotatable detecting heads between which all cans are placed, means on said heads for engaging and ejecting bulged end cans but which will permit unbulged end cans to pass.

7. An apparatus for separating bulged end cans from unbulged end cans comprising opposed heads between which all cans are placed, means for rotating said heads in opposite directions, means on said heads for engaging Lit bulged end cans and ejecting them but which will permit unbulged end cans to pass.

8. An apparatus for separating bulged end cans from unbulged end cans comprising means for passing a line of cans along a predeterminedpathway, oppositely rotatable devices along said pathway, means operated by said devices for engaging the ends of cans that are bulged and ejecting them from said pathway but permitting cans having unbulged ends to pass by said devices.

9. An apparatus for separating bulged end cans from a line of cans comprising means for directing a line of cans along a path way, independently rotatable opposed means along said pathway for engaging each can temporarily, means for exerting pressure between the cans and said engaging means, said pressure tending to eject bulged end cans but permitting unbulged end cans to pass,

10. An apparatus for separating bulged end cans from unbulged end cans comprising means for directing a line of cans along a pathway, intermittently stopping said line of cans, independent y rotatable detecting de vices along said pathway for success ix y en gaging each can, mean coasting with said detecting devices for ejecting a bulged end can from said line of cans but permitting the unbulged end cans to pass.

11. An apparatus for separating bulged end cans fromunbulged end cans comprising means for directing a line of cans along a pathway, intermittently stopping said of cans, independently rotatable opp disposed devices along said pathway, means moving said devices to sinmltaneously engage each can as it is at rest, means coacting with said devices for ejecting a bulged end can from said line.

12. An apparatus for handling cans to separate the bulged end cans therefrom comprising means for directing a line of ca f along a pathway, independently rotatable detecting means along said pathway l: a component of motion for eng ging each can in succession, means for coacting with said detecting means for ejecting a bulged end can from said line.

13. An apparatus for handling cans to separate the bulged end cans therefrom comprising means for directing a line of cans along a pathway, means along said pathway having a component of motion for engaging each can, said engaging means acting oppositely on the ends of the cans causing a removal of the bulged end cans from said line of cans.

14. The method of separating bulged end cans from amass of cans consisting in moving a mass of cans along a pathway in single file arrangement and in axial alignment, intermittently and successively engaging each can to change its axial alignment if the ends are bulged and throw it laterally out of line but to leave unbulged end cans unchanged in their position.

15. The method of separating bulged end cans from a mass of cans consisting on moving cans along a pathway and giving a twist to cans having bulged ends to throw them out of the line of the other cans.-

16. The method of separating bulged end cans from a mass of cans consisting in moving cans along a pathway, stopping them intermittently, giving a twist to cans having bulged ends to throw them out of the line of cans.

17. An apparatus for separating bulged end cans from unbulged end cans comprising opposed heads between which all cans are placed, means for rotating said heads in opposite directions, stiff. bristles on said heads for engaging all cans and-which will give a twisting mot-ion to bulged end cans to throw them laterally away from the line of cans.

18. An apparatus for separating bulged end cans from a line of cans comprising means for moving cans in processional arrangement with their axes parallel, rotating heads, a bristle facing on said heads for engaging each can intermittently and successsively, the bearing being greatest at the center of bulged end cans which causes the said cans to be ejected from said line by a twisting motion imparted by said bristles.

19. An apparatus for handling cans successively to separate bulged end cans therefrom comprising means for directing cans In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM W. WADSWORTH. 

